“I changed the camp up a little bit,” Bocek told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “I did my camp in Montreal at Tristar with Firas Zahabi and all the guys down there. They have a bunch of different gyms. The way they train, it’s not all in one place. It’s kind of decentralized, so I’ve got a new look on things. I felt like my learning curve was getting a little flat, but I feel ready.

“I wasn’t happy about the Henderson fight, but I’ve changed things around. I’m 30 years old now. I think things, now, are starting to come together nicely for me in my game. I feel good.”

Bocek gets a chance to display his new skills Saturday night, when he faces Nik Lentz (21-3-2 MMA, 5-0-1 UFC) on the preliminary card of UFC 140, which takes place at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre.

Lentz hasn’t suffered an official loss since March 2007 – a span of 15 fights, including six octagon results. But that doesn’t intimidate Bocek in the least.

“He’s very tough,” Bocek said. “He’s a very good opponent. He’s kind of underrated. He likes to put people on the fence. He’s good at bringing people into his game. But I don’t see it. He’s more experienced than me but not more experienced against tougher competition.

“I don’t see how he’s going to outwrestle me. I train with better wrestlers than him. He’s not some kind of Olympic wrestler. He’s an OK wrestler. Division I, that means nothing in MMA. I think he’s good, but I think I’m better.”

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with a pair of “Submission of the Night” wins under his belt, Bocek will certainly be comfortable if he’s forced to his back. But the 30-year-old Canadian isn’t trying to call his shot or pretend he knows exactly how things will play out in the cage.

He does know he doesn’t want to experience that losing feeling again, and he believes he’s put in the work to prevent it from ever happening again.

“My objective for Saturday is to just get a ‘W,'” Bocek said. “That’s the only thing that’s important to me. To make a prediction as to how, I have no idea – just find a way to win.

“My year starts with Lentz. My goal has always been to be lightweight champ. I fought some really tough guys. I’ve made adjustments. My fifth fight was in the UFC. The whole learning curve has been in the UFC. But I feel like things are coming together nicely, and it’s all going to start with Lentz. My year starts here.”

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.